Matthew Henry Hodge

Rev. Matthew Henry Hodge (1805 – 13 January 1877) was a Congregationalist minister who had a substantial career in South Australia, being pastor of the Port Adelaide Congregational Church for 27 years.

History Hodge was born in South Molton, Devon, England.

He arrived in South Australia with his wife and family aboard the John Munn from London in September 1849, and founded the first Independent (as Congregationalists were wont to style themselves) church in the Port area, which first met in a sail loft in Wills Street. The boys resumed their education at a school at the Port run by a Mr. Perry, then attended John L. Young's Adelaide Educational Institution, where (named as Edward, Francis and Payne) they won prizes in 1853 and 1854.

The first chapel was built on a small block of land donated by Captain Hall at Alberton (or Albert Town), but soon proved too small for the large non-denominational congregation. A new chapel was built on swampland bounded by St. Vincent Street and Lipson Street, and Rev. Hodge conducted services at the two locations until Rev. G. D. Watt arrived to take over at Alberton. Notwithstanding the founding of churches by the Baptists and (Wesleyan) Methodists in the area, Hodge's congregation had outgrown the building, and land adjoining on the western side was secured for a new Port chapel. The workers returned, and the building and schoolhouse were completed. Rev. Hodge did not strike gold, but collected £1000 from some of those who had. It is a tribute to the organizational powers and personality of Rev. Hodge that at his death the church was free of debt. Annie married again, to (Methodist) Rev. Sampson Stephens in 1904.